==Phrack Inc.==
Volume One, Issue Nine, Phile #2 of 10
==Phrack Pro-Phile VI==
Written and Created by Taran King
9/28/86
Welcome to Phrack Pro-Phile VI. Phrack Pro-Phile is created to bring
info to you, the users, about old or highly important/controversial people.
This month, I bring to you a particularly influential user from days of old...
The Nightstalker
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The Nightstalker was involved with Tap and 8080B, the first home
computer which he helped build for NY Telephone.
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Personal
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Handle: The Nightstalker
Past handles: Stainless Steel Rat, The Old Wazoo, C.T.
Handle origin: TV movie and series called "The Nightstalker"
Date of Birth: 12/51
Age at current date: 34 years old
Height: 6'+
Weight: 200+ lbs.
Eye color: Blue-Green
Hair Color: Brownish-Black
Computers: ALTAIR 8080B, Apple IIe, Commodore 64
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The Nightstalker started in the phreak world in 1971 due to the
Esquire article on blue boxes and YIPL magazine. He obtained his first blue
box by January, 1972. He started hacking in 1975 after obtaining a TI Silent
700 Series, Model 700 exceedingly dumb terminal. He stumbled upon ARPAnet in
Massachusetts, the bridge at MIT...1 hour later, he figured out how to get
on. He toyed with the MIT exchange and found the MULTICS system and their
artificial intelligence system. They were just beginning to use a language
called LISP at the time. He also helped with the building of the ALTAIR
8080B, holding 22 slots for cards 4 inches thick, 18 of which were used to get
16K on the computer. He helped out NY Telephone with "Let's Get Together", a
game at fairs which utilized Area Codes for answers. He also was involved
with the standard old phone phreak tricks like a loop around the world from
one phone booth to the one next to it. His first computer was a Commodore 64
due to the cost to him (free) and it was easier to upgrade than the Apple IIe
(pick up a brochure on Commodore and see how many voices it has as well as the
tone range...I'm sure that it covers 2600 hz quite nicely).
Members of the telecom world which he has met include Cheshire Catalyst,
Captain Crunch, Steve Wozniak, and Bill Gates (head of Microsoft). He has met
many phone phreaks at science fiction conventions, but doesn't know them by
name or handle.
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Interests: Telecommunications (modeming, phreaking, hacking),
telecomputing, science fiction, short wave radio, scanner
listening, classic music, and shooting.
The Nightstalker's Favorite Things
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Women: Goes without saying; preferably ones involved in science
fiction as an interest or a hobby.
Sci-Fi Cons: He attends many and has met many phreaks through them.
Short wave radio: As previously mentioned, scanning.
Hack: A classic hack (scam), participating in or hearing of.
Anarchy: Confusing people with authoritative positions.
Shooting: Target shooting or machine guns.
Space programs: Obsessed since Sputnik program.
Most Memorable Experiences
--------------------------
Machine gun gallery in Atlanta, Georgia. Lots of fun!
First time he hacked his way into a trade show.
Boxing a call to AUTOVON and to Lebanon during U.S. occupancy and billed the
call to the local KKK member.
Some People to Mention
----------------------
Ron Rosenbaum (wrote the Esquire article on Blue Boxes [all his fault]).
Various science fiction authors.
Wozniak and Jobs (for inventing the Apple).
MIT (for inventing the Altair computer).
Marx Brothers (for his anarchial views towards bureaucracy).
Robert Shea and Robert Anton Wilson (wrote Illuminatus Trilogy [recommended]).
John Draper (for showing us all how it was done).
Original MIT Hackers (for showing us the light).
AT&T (for providing us with this wonderful Network).
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The Nightstalker is not fond of the current society that claims themselves as
hackers or phreakers but don't learn the systems themselves. These aren't the
real hackers that sit down and literally hack away at a system. Pirates
aren't hackers. Just because you have a computer doesn't mean you're a
hacker. Another thing he's displeased about is the term "hacker" used by the
media as anyone owning a computer. He considers the people that destroy
systems criminals and fiends, not hackers. Those that find the back doors and
something unknown about a system non-malevolently or without profit in mind
are true hackers and phreakers.
About computers, The Nightstalker has strong feelings about the symbolisms of
the brand names as status symbols in society. He feels, rather than buying
the computer because it's the most expensive, the neatest looking, or what
everyone else has, you should buy it for it's capabilities which can help you
rather than hypothetical situations many computer advertising agencies use.
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I hope you enjoyed this phile, look forward to more Phrack Pro-Philes coming
in the near future. ...And now for the regularly taken poll from all
interviewees.
Of the general population of phreaks you have met, would you consider most
phreaks, if any, to be computer geeks? He feels that the term, "computer
geek" or closer, "geek" is too relative to be able to generalize. There have
been people that he's met, though, that he'd not wish to exist on the same
planet with. Thanks for your time, Mr. Nightstalker.
Taran King
Sysop of Metal Shop Private